Let Go, Will
by Kenne Morrison1
Summary: What if Buffy had contacted Willow to let her know she was at peace before her resurrection? R/R, please?


"Let Go, Will" By Kenne Morrison  
  
Disclaimer: Buffy characters are not mine. They are the property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and 20th Century Fox. Story is for entertainment purposes only. Not for profit.  
  
Author's Notes: Takes place in the middle of "Bargaining" at the beginning of Season Six.  
  
Where am I? It's so peaceful here. I'm so happy, no content is more like it. No more battles, no more watching my friends get hurt, and no more heartache's from boyfriends that can't deal with who and what I am or who and what they are.  
  
"Willow, i-is everything ready?" Tara asks in her unsure voice as she holds tightly to her lover's arm.  
  
"Just about," Willow replies back with confidence. "We just have to wait for the planets to finish coming into alignment and a couple more components. Then we'll be all set to do what's only been considered before. We're going to bring something back. Not just reviving a zombie corpse, but an actual resurrection. Isn't that all exciting and tingly and stuff?"  
  
"A-are you su-sure we should be doing this?"  
  
"D'uh, silly, this is our friend we're talking about. Of course I'm sure. This time tomorrow night, the Scooby gang will be back with our Daphne fully restored to her rightful place." Willow giggles as she carresses her girlfriend's hand. Then she stretches and let's out a big yawn. "But getting with the resurecty stuff is making me sleepy. Can we just go to sleep tonight without our usual...Recreational activities?"  
  
Tara giggles as she slides over onto her side of the bed. "Of course, goofy. We did plenty of that last night. Besides, we'll make up for it in the morning. Gives us time to build our energies up."  
  
Willow kisses her lovely wiccan tenderly as she scoots down in bed, then reaches up to turn the light off. Before she can place her head on her pillow, she can tell by Tara's deep blissful breathing that she's already asleep. Willow isn't far behind her.  
  
hr  
  
Willow looks around at the fog with a look of confusion on her face. She isn't awake, she can tell. It doesn't feel right. "What's happening?" she asks to the figure she just somehow knows is there.  
  
"It's me, Will." The figure walks towards her. As soon as the light shines on the figure's golden locks, Willow gasps.  
  
"Buffy!" she's not able to speak anymore for another few minutes as her friend slowly walks towards her and gives her a big hug.  
  
"Hello, Will. It sure has been a long time hasn't it?"  
  
"Wha? Buffy, I don't understand. What is this place? How is it that you're visiting me in my dream?"  
  
"I think this is Heaven, Will. And I don't know why I can visit you. I just knew that I needed to come see you, so I did."  
  
"How do I know you're the real Buffy and not some sick demon sent to torment me?"  
  
"Touch me, Will, then search in your heart, you'll know." Buffy holds out her hand.  
  
Tentatively Willow reaches for her best friends hand. It feels soft and warm and so very solid. Suddenly, she's flooded with her friend's very life and experiences. For the moments that she holds Buffy's hands, she sees Buffy's life as she's lived it. "Oh my God, Buffy. It's really you."  
  
"Yep, it's me. In the flesh. Well, sorta like flesh anyways, huh." Buffy takes her hand back and straightens her shirt in that self conscious way she had the habit of doing.  
  
"But this place seems so peaceful and quiet. I thought for sure you could have been in some demonic place being put through all kinds of torment." Willow's face shows that she's still not recovering from the reality of being there with Buffy.  
  
"Willow Rosenberg! Do you think I was such an evil person that I deserved hell?"  
  
"That's- That's not what I meant. I just--"  
  
"It's okay, Will. I was only joking. I know I was as surprised as you were when I became aware of where I was. It's nice here, you know?"  
  
"Oh..." Willow turns to hide her face so that Buffy doesn't see the tear trickle down her cheek. "I guess you're happier here than you'd be with us, huh?"  
  
"No, God, Willow!!" Buffy runs to embrace her friend to console her. "That's not exactly what this is about. I mean, yeah, this place is great, but I love all of you. My life was better because all of you were in it."  
  
"What if I told you I've found a way to bring you back? You can come home where we need you, and you won't be coming back all zombie and decay-ey." Buffy hesitates for a moment pondering her thoughts. "Will, that's what I'm here to talk to you about. I can't come back, Will, no matter what kind of death loophole you've found. It's just not natural, and my time's done."  
  
"What do you mean?!? You're place is with us. We need you! The world needs you!! What about Sunnydale, recreational tourist trap for all things demon? What about being the Slayer? You know that with Faith behind bars, the world's minus a slayer now."  
  
"Will," Buffy walks a few feet as if considering her words carefully, "Will, things will be fine. I'm sure once the council knows that I'm gone, they'll send reinforcements to protect the Hellmouth until they can find a way to either get Faith back or activate a new Slayer. It's just.I can't come back. Would you have me give up peace, quiet, completeness, to come back?"  
  
"What about Dawn? Xander? Giles? What about us?!? We need YOU, Buffy." Willow's heart pours out the aches and pain of her loss as she feels her friend's rejection sinking in. "Don't we matter anymore?"  
  
"Of course you matter, and I love you all so very, very much. So much more than I ever even thought possible. But I made a sacrifice. I did it for all of you. More than for a world that didn't deserve to be sucked into a hellish dimension. I died so that you, Dawn, Giles, Xander could all be safe. Would you have me make that sacrifice meaningless now?"  
  
"It's not meaningless."  
  
"Yes, it would be, Will. Death's not a toy you can just flip a switch and play with when it suits you, then turn off when you get ready to. Death's a reality. I'm dead. My time on earth has passed. Please let me go."  
  
"I WILL NOT LET YOU GO!!! I CAN'T!!!!!!!!!!" Willow collapses on the ground in a mound of sobs.  
  
"Shh!! Shh!" Buffy consoles her as she wraps her arms around her. "I know this is hard for you, but you haven't lost me. You carry around part of me wherever you go. You have the memories of the times we shared. And you are one of the few that can honestly say that you knew how I lived and what I died for. Remember that first slumber party we had? You had just found out about my being the slayer, and you were asking me all those questions about why I didn't want you going out on patrols or anything with me. Remember how I told you that if I could protect just a few from the trials and pains that life had to offer it would make my sacrifices all the worthwhile? I meant that, Will. That rift opening was stained in Summers' blood. Only the life of a Summers was going to close that. I was going to be damned if I'd let anyone else do what I could do. See, Will, my life is worth something because I died so that others could continue to live. You don't want to take that away do you?"  
  
Willow sniffled as she clung on to her friend. "No, no I guess not. But it's so hard without you. We all miss you so much more than we're even able to say. Our hearts have giant gaping buffy-shaped holes because you're not there to fill anymore."  
  
"I know, and believe me. If I could take and fill up those holes forever, I would. But it's not possible. You just have to put one foot in front of the other, carry on, and let time adjust your heart to accept the hole without the pain. Can you do that for me, please?"  
  
"Yeah, I suppose so. But how do I do that? How do I tell my heart that you're not coming back?"  
  
"Just let go, Sweetie. Just let go. Nature and time will do all the rest."  
  
"I love you, Buffy. We all do."  
  
"I know that my little Weeping Willow. Just remember I love you all too, now let go, Will."  
  
hr  
  
Willow opens her eyes and looks around. She looks over at the side of her, and she sees Tara still sleeping silently beside her. It was a dream, but in her heart she knows it was real. Now comes the hard part. How to tell her friends that she can't go through with it. How does she tell friends who are dealing with the pain and loss too that she won't go through with a ritual that for everything she's researched can bring back their loss healthy and whole?"  
  
Remember, Will, let me go, She feels Buffy speak in her heart. It won't be easy, but she'll find a way to bring her friend's through this. They'll all live through this pain and loss together because that's how SHE would want it. Tears trickle down her face as she remembers her friend. She'll miss her greatly, but it's at least a comfort to know that Buffy's in a good place. She's finally at peace, and Willow can let go. 


End file.
